Noah's Shadow
by TornPageDyedRed
Summary: Nea's life as a Noah leading up to the his supposed betrayal and death.
1. Prologue

"The Rise Of The Curtains"

An odd figure waltzes into a dark room lit only by one large spotlight. The spotlight follows the figure's movements as he makes it to center stage. The figure is quite porky and his appearance is almost whimsical. He is dressed in a light gray tailcoat two shades shy of his dark gray skin. His ears are large and pointy, lying at a horizontal angle. On his nose sits a pair of spectacles hiding his golden eyes. Beneath his tailcoat he has on a pair of dark gray pants and on his head between his ears sits a medium size top hat. The top hat is decorated with a large red ribbon which twists its way around it like a snake.

"Hello there everyone and welcome to our little production. I am the Millenium Earl as you all should know." The figure says it with a small bow, his features twisted into a permanent smile.

At once he began to dance across the stage swinging around a large pink jack-o-lantern topped umbrella.

"_Oh you poor soul._

_You just have to pay the toll._

_It's such a simple task._

_They just have to ask._

_I will bring back._

_Whatever they may lack. _

_They just have to lend their voice._

_It is their choice._

_I am in search of help and I will get it from you._

_Making Akuma is just what I do._"

The Millenium Earl sang and as he did so an odd scene flashed behind him.

In the scene he stood before a young grieving woman who sat in front of a large grave. As the Earl approached her sobs slowed as he held out his hand. She grabbed it and turned in time to see a mechanical skeleton rise out of the ground. At once she screamed for her lover and a large beam of light hit the skeleton. A star appeared on the forehead of the skeleton and underneath that was the name Phillip. The skeleton began to move and reared up attaching the young woman at the Earl's command. A moment later the same girl stood facing away beside him. As she turned visible on her forehead is the same pentacle that was on the skeleton.

The Earl bowed a humble bow as he finished his song, still smiling.

"Well then let the curtain rise on act one but don't forget your lines for you are the actors and the world is our stage," laughed the Earl an evil gleam in his visible eyes.

At once the entire stage went dark as the curtains fell.


	2. Act 1: Destruction

"The First Confrontation"

The snow falls softly against the dark silhouette of the sky. A young man stands against a pole with his hands in his long trench coat pockets. His eyes stand out as though they are two bright stars hanging suspended in a dark velvet sky. As they twinkled in the dim light of the flickering streetlight, a slight wind tousles his dark hair which parts to reveal dark star-like marks dancing across his forehead. He huffs out of annoyance; his breath is white as it leaves his lips, hovering in the air as a small delicate cloud.

A dark young girl with blue hair comes dancing towards him. Even though she is young, her movements resemble that of a skilled dancer. In her hand is a pink umbrella topped with an odd square-like jack-o-lantern. Even though they are not technically relatives she holds the same eyes and dark skin as him. Peeking out from behind her spiky hair is the same bizarre stigmata that graced the young man's brow.

They exchange a simple greeting, their teeth glinting as their mouths moved. The umbrella almost seemed to flinch as the girl twirled it around, before retaining its original appearance.

"What have you been up to? Haven't got yourself into any trouble recently, have you?" The young man asked in a cool and almost teasing voice. The girl flashed her teeth as her lips twitched into a wide and sly grin.

"Nothing you need to worry about."

Her voice was playful and almost sing-songish.

Both figures froze as the sound of footsteps pounded quickly towards them. A loud scream split through the air, breaking through the calm night.

The figure of a man running appeared in the distance and, as the two watched, the man darted down the street, disturbing the falling snow. Close on his tail was a shadowy demon-like creature. An unearthly wail echo's through the land, causing the air to hum.

The two continue to watch with bored stares, unfazed by the scene that was playing out before them.

The man trips and falls to the ground with a single yelp. As the demon-like creature looms over him, he makes one final desperate act and calls for help from the two silhouettes watching. Even so they just stood by and watched stiffly, glaring at the man. The creature reared its bulky body and with a single swipe from its clawed hand the man fell to the ground, staining the once freshly driven snow red.

"Hey Akuma! Watch what you're doing! Didn't the Earl tell you to avoid drawing attention!" said the young girl with a glare, her voice hard and angry.

The Akuma froze at the young girl's voice and turned around shivering.

"Noah… I-I am sorry! I-I didn't know you were here! P-Please forgive me…" said the Akuma with an unearthly moan, its voice quivering slightly out of what appeared to be fear.

The young man just stood there glaring without the slightest reaction to what he saw, his arms crossed over his chest.

A sigh escaped his lips and he shook his head at the others.

"Our target has yet to approach. Can you two contain yourselves until then?" he said in a voice so sweet it was bitter, a somewhat teasing smile playing upon his lips.

The girl turned towards the young man with a playful groan.

"Oh come on! Why do you always have to be so serious? I just wanted to have a little fun!" she whined, grabbing on to his waist; half hugging him, half yanking him.

The Akuma relaxed slightly as it was momentarily forgotten. Then the sound of pounding footsteps once again began to echo down the street, coming from the direction the man had once run from.

"It's time,"

The young man's voice was cool as he spoke but in that cool voice held a malicious note.

"Finally!"

A large devilish grin spread across the young girl's face.

A man in a long decorated blue coat came running down the street, holding a large ordinate bow. As he came into view, the details surrounding this mysterious man were revealed.

His blue coat was decorated with a blue and white cord near his right shoulder in the shape of a broken square. The coat was adorned with silver buttons and held a Rose Cross broach near his left shoulder.

His bow was highly decorated with an intricate pattern down its side and held a supernatural blue glow.

The man's head was hidden by a hood lined with the same blue and white cord that decorated his right shoulder.

He moved with strong, confident strides towards them. But when he noticed the other two standing near the Akuma, he faltered. This action made the young girl's smile widen slightly. The young man just watched with a small, simple yet evil smile.

After a momentary pause, the man continued his approach, his movements reflecting a new found caution. He stopped a few paces short of the odd group, his grip tight on his bow turning his knuckles white.

"Are you human?"

His voice was slow and tentive as though he was afraid to ask.

"We are indeed human. We belong to the clan of Noah," said the young girl, a twisted sneer stuck to her face.

The man stiffened at her words, causing the smile on her face to grow even wider.

"What's the matter Exorcist?"

The young girl's voice shook slightly with laughter, a hint of cruelty touching her words.

The man, whom she called Exorcist, took a shaky breath and eased slightly forward as if to continue his approach.

This made the two figure's laugh, their teeth slightly flashing in the pale light, almost as white as the surrounding snow.

At that the Exorcist lifted his bow, taking the position of a lion about to pounce.

This humored the young girl to the point where she began to laugh a hard, bouncing laugh that filled the air.

The young man took the opposite approach; reacting by taking on a more serious air, his smile vanished from his lips as a fire lit in his eyes. He held a resolve to kill and the Exorcist seemed to be his target.

The Exorcist shifted his grip on his bow and began to run towards the group once more, his pace regaining its previous vigor.

Almost as if on cue the young man straightened, looking more attentive.

The young girl smiled a queer smile as a writhing dark purple shadow appeared behind her, growing and rotating until it enveloped the group.

Inside the darkness, the area around them had seemed to change. On the outside it looked like a giant striped present but on the inside the atmosphere was darker. The walls where made of the same swirling matter that had appeared behind the girl and littering the yellow floor were present-shaped pillows and stuffed animals. Floating around them were striped candles and jack-o-lanterns.

The Exorcist stared at the scene around him, surprised.

The young man turned to the girl and said, "Road, do you want to go first or should I?"

The young girl, whom he called Road, smiled.

Road wasn't that young, only about 14 give or take a few years, yet most of the time she had a child's complex. What Road said next shocked the young man for that very reason.

"Why don't you go first? You have been kinda depressed lately so I thought this would be the perfect pick-me-up, or at least I hope it will be… You are no fun when you are sad!"

Even though it was with a teasing smile, there was genuine concern hiding in her voice.

"Why thank you for your concern but I am okay. If you wish to go first then I insist you do so," said the young man in a polite tone.

The moment the words came out of his mouth Road let out an exasperated sigh.

"I can tell something is bothering you! You only get all polite when there is something on your mind and you have been like that all night! Don't try to play dumb and hide things from me!"

The young man momentarily froze in shock before regaining his cool expression and in response to Road nodded as if to say "You won".

Turning toward the Exorcist, the young man held out his hand as the same dark purple energy that had appeared behind Road appeared on his fingertips. The dark energy, called Dark Matter, shifted and hardened into a long, thin black sword. Little dark purple ripples, like small lightning bolts, darted across the blade; acting as the only proof that it had been made out of Dark Matter.

He shifted forward and took off running towards the Exorcist. His knee-length trench-coat splayed out in the air around him in accordance to his footfalls. His dark, wavy hair bounced about as he ran, his red ribbon tie untied and flowing out behind his head. As his trench coat parted it revealed the white collar shirt and black pants he wore. His shin length dark boots clunked rhythmically on the pavement.

His golden eyes flashing he struck out his sword with such ease it seemed as natural as breathing.

The Exorcist struggled against the attack, his bow screeching against the strain as it barely blocked the swords blow.

The young man kicked out his left leg and caught the Exorcist in the chest. Sucking in a jagged breath the Exorcist struggled to breathe, gasping greedily for air as he tried to fend off another attack. But as he tried with all his might the sword seemed to slip in through a slight opening near his left thigh. The thin black blade found its way into his leg, leaving a large gash in its wake.

"Damn!" swore the Exorcist under his breath, panting.

The young man jumped back as the Exorcist tried to swat at him, swinging the large bow to and fro.

Lowering himself onto one knee, the Exorcist pulled back the bow string and forming between the string and the frame was a glowing blue arrow. The arrow seemed to be formed of the energy surrounding the bow and held a sort of electrical charge to it.

Releasing the string, the Exorcist sent the blue arrow flying.

With the blue arrow hurtling towards the young man the Akuma, who had all but disappeared from the minds of the others, jumped in front of him; protecting him.

The arrow pierces the thick armor of the Akuma with ease, causing the creature to explode.

"What an idiot. That Akuma should know better than to think one of us would go down that easy," mumbled Road, her voice cold and cruel.

"They are ordered by Master Earl to protect you with their lives, Lero," said the umbrella in Road's hand that was all but forgotten until now.

The young man sighed, shaking his head, causing his hair to bounce to and fro.

"What a waste of a good Akuma."

He turned toward the area where the Akuma exploded as he mumbled before facing the Exorcist once again.

Tightening his grip on his sword, the young man ran at the Exorcist, and before the man could even react, he slashed him across his torso. With a loud thud the Exorcist hit the ground; the young man stood over him, his sword tinged red.

"Well then it appears it is the end. Henry Winchester it appears you weren't even worth the effort,"

The young man stood planted on Henry's chest as the Exorcist took in his last choking breaths, his breathing ragged and wet before it finally stopped altogether.

Flicking his wrist, the sword in the young man's hand evaporated into thin air, leaving behind nothing but a shimmering dark purple smoke.

Road smiled as the yellow floor turned red, the corners of her mouth twitching. As she stared into the large crimson puddle her face seemed to change, momentarily appearing like that of a shadow without any facial features other than a pair of stark white eyes and a mouth.

"Our job here is done," said the young man putting his hands in his pockets, an odd expression contorting his features. The expression was somewhere between a sneer and a smile and even though it was quite odd it somehow seemed to somehow fit the young man.

At that Road, whose face was once again normal, smiled a playful and joyful smile.

"Yay! Now we can go home! Since it seems that you're feeling better we can play!"

The young man smiled at her, his smile a warm and charming one. At that Road ran up to him with a spring in her step; twirling the umbrella once again, this time faster and harder.

"Please Mistress Road! Lero. I feel sick! Lero," screamed the umbrella.

The young man grabbed on to Road with one arm and almost effortlessly lifted her on to his shoulders as she came to a stop in front of him.

Then almost immediately after that, the Dark Matter around them dissipated.

They soon found themselves back on the dimly lit street corner, surrounded by the softly falling snow. A dark figure watched them silently from the shadow of a nearby building. The young man, carrying Road, walked over to where the silhouette was waiting.

Letting Road down, the young man approached saying a simple "Good evening" to the figure. The figure replied with the same greeting in a low voice.

"Hello Lord Millenium!" said Road in her playful sing-song voice.

The figure stepped out of the shadows and into the dim light of the street. Even in the dim light, his appearance was crystal clear. The man, whom was called the Millenium Earl, was a porky fellow with gray skin and glasses that hid his eyes. He wore a light gray waist-length tail coat with loose fitting pants. On his head sat a large, oddly decorated hat in between his long, pointy ears.

"Master Earl!" screamed the umbrella wiggling out of Road's grip and flying into the Earl's hand.

"Why hello Lero." said the Earl with a laugh.

The Earl's large mouth moved slightly behind that permanent smile of his.

"Master Earl! Road was abusing me again! Lero," said the umbrella, whom the Earl called Lero.

The Earl laughed and turned his attention back to the other two.

"So how did the mission go Nea?" asked the Earl, his question directed at the young man.

"It went well Lord Millenium," said Nea with that charming smile of his, his face illuminated by the flickering streetlight faded from sight as the light had finally died.

The freshly fallen snow seemed to glow a pure white despite being tarnished with blood and soiled with the two bodies. The odd group turned as a dark purple gate rose out of the ground. It appeared to be a bunch of broken pieces connected by invisible strings, hovering in the near pitch black darkness that surrounded them.

In the silence when all others laid sleeping in their beds a man whose hair was a bright fiery red stood watching from a distance. It appeared as though he had been watching the whole time yet he did nothing to approach the cluster standing before the gate labeled 121.

Then Nea, who was standing at the back of the group, looked towards the shadows gathering near them. He seemed to feel the piercing eyes of the on-looker digging into him. With narrow eyes Nea's vision raked across the thick black that had yet to be penetrated by the gate's faint glow.

"Nea are you coming?" asked Road poking her head out of the gate, her eyes held some concern.

"Yeah,"

As Nea made his way to the gate his eyes wearily crept back to the shadows. His steps echoed as he made his way to the gate before pausing for a split second, swearing he saw something move. He immediately dismissed it and entered the gate.

On the other side Road stood waiting her face slightly shadowed in concern. She poked Nea's face which held a thoughtful expression.

"What's that look for?" She said teasingly obviously trying to change the mood. Even so her voice held a hint of alarm at being watched followed by the sudden tailspin of Nea's mood.

His eyes rose as his focus turned to Road.

"What are you talking about?" he said with a smile trying to play off his anxiety.

Road noticed this and decide to go with it as they walked together through the entryway leading to a dining hall with a large table set up in the center. Hanging from the walls were pictures of people that held the same skin, eyes, and stigmata that Road and Nea had.

The Earl took a seat at the head of the table and motioned for the other two to take a seat while saying, "You must be famished. After all you didn't have dinner before you went off on your mission. Why not eat with me?"

The dining room was silent save for the rhythmic clinking of silverware. The Earl sat at the head of the table, his hat holding a completely different decoration. Lero floated by the Earls side as he dug into a large elegant ice cream sunday. Nea and Road sat eating silently as well, there faces calm.

"Well Nea how is the new song coming?" asked the Earl finally breaking the unbearable silence that hung over the group.

"Oh-It is going well. If you like I can show you after dinner."

"Ahhh, that's nice. I think I will take you up on that offer."

"Hey you are supposed to play with me! You promised!" Road whined loudly, jabbing Nea in his side.

"I promised no such thing," he said turning his head away and crossing his arms. His face held a mock-snooty expression to show he was joking with her.

"Oh come on!"

The rest of the meal was silent once again. They rose one by one as they finish and began to head towards the piano room. As they exited the dining hall they came upon what appeared to be a small town.

The town was filled with storybook elegant white buildings. All the building appeared almost identical save for the large graceful white tower in the center of town. The town was set up with many terraces, rows of buildings stood on each level. It appeared as though the town was separated from the rest of the world for beyond the border was nothing. The land itself was floating in oblivion, the atmosphere set up as to resemble that of the outer world. For this town sat in an alternate dimension.

Each house looked the same; the only differences were the doors. Some doors were wood others painted. It wasn't just the color of the doors but also their styles and what they were made of.

After a few silent moments of walking they came to a stop in front a large cream colored door.

"Do you have the key?" asks the Earl eyeing Nea.

"Of course,"

Nea reaches down into the pocket of his coat and draws out an ordinate skeleton key hanging from a silver chain. The key dangles from his hand, flashing from the glowing light of the fake moon. He sticks the key in the rusty lock of the door which at once changes into a large French door. The door is a stark white standing against the black atmosphere.

Nea reaches for the polished white doorknob, his gray hand dark against the shining silver. The knob turns effortlessly in his hands and with a gentle shove he pushes the door open.

The room itself is basked in a soft light cast from flickering candles. Slung across the black floor is a carpet of a bright red color. In the center of the room sits a large ebony piano, its keys a bright ivory. Floating above it are what appears to be many music note inscribed in a glowing gold light.

Nea walks up to the large black leather-covered piano bench, the key in his hands now a darker less shining silver. The other two trail behind him in silence.

"Well now then let's hear it and then I will allow you both to go to bed. You both must be exhausted." The Earl says with a smile, obvious gleeful to get to hear Nea play.

Nea was a skilled pianist who in his youth was said to be a child prodigy. He played as a means of a living before he became a Noah. He and his older brother were orphaned at a young age. Both he and his brother had to acquire certain talents in order to survive on the streets. There are only 13 Noah alive at a time counting the Earl. Nea is the 14th and the reasoning behind him appearing is still shrouded in mystery. This was the first generation that a 14th appeared so there had to be some significance behind it.

Nea took a seat at the bench and almost at once his figures began to skillfully splay over the keys. The tune was soft yet mournful almost like a beautiful tragedy. Road and the Earl marveled over the sound, oh how lovely it was yet so sad. It hung in the air around them, each heart touching note filled the silence. The room itself began to sway in tune to the melody.

At once Road began to accompany the tone, adding her voice to the mix.

"_The clouds drift over the ashen lands._

_Hiding the endless blue sky._

_The waves they never cease their assault against the jagged shore._

_The ripples dance across the pierced water's surface._

_Silence hangs in the air._

_The moon casts its penetrating light down to earth._

_Dreams soft and gentle._

_Their glow is reflected in the waning moon._

_Their whispers travel with the wind._

_Caught in the gentle breeze…_"

Road's voice hovers in the air drawn out, before fading away as the last note rings out. The song's ending is followed by the joyful clapping of the Earl.

"Wow amazing as always Nea and you too Road. It was wonderful. Wonderful." The Earl says with a genuine smile, his expression appearing excited.

"Nice job with the lyrics Road. Though I must ask what compelled you to start singing. Usually you never sing when I play the original song so why now?" asks Nea as he turns to face Road. His hands now hang at his sides motionless.

"Well that is stupid question. I did it because I felt like it and your song was easy to sing to. No offence Lord Millenium but that last song just didn't have any personality to it," Road said shrugging her shoulders.

At that Nea sent a uneasy gaze over to the Earl as though he was afraid he would get punish for Road's comment.

"None taken. I do agree that Nea is quite the pianist. His music moved all of us and more importantly the ark. Now then off to bed with the both of you. You need your rest." said the Earl in a bright voice filled with joy and touched slightly with fatigue, the song having the opposite effect on his emotions.

Nea and Road say good night to the Earl and began to walk off to their rooms. As they arrive at the place for them to part ways they both exchange the same simple good night and go their separate ways.

Nea continues down the empty street bathed in silver light. The buildings rise up, their figures looming over him. Finally he approaches a single house away from all the others. As he approaches the door he reaches into his pocket pulling out a white key. He again puts the key into the keyhole and turns it. This time the door turns into a dark wooden French door. He opens the door and vanishes quickly inside where he will take his leave for the night.


	3. Act 2: Recovery

"The Second Confrontation"

The trees swayed in the light wind that blew over the grassy plain. The Akuma searched in great numbers, there ranks equaling anywhere from 8-10 per group. Hiding among the trees where Nea and Road with Lero as a guide. They didn't appear to be searching more of just keeping an eye on things. Many other figures hid in the shadows but seemed somehow different from the two Noah and their army. These were men were garbed in white robes and carried large telephone-like boxes on their backs.

As the gentle breeze rushes through the tall grass it carries with it the sound of faraway wind chimes and the faint smell of dirt from the nearby farms. The light pounds on the sun warmed ground, turning the grass the soft tan of straw. This seems like an unlikely place for a fight but as long as this war goes on the battles fields will be many and exist in the most extraordinary places. For the presence of innocence is not determined by location.

Approaching from the tree line is a small 3-person group of people dressed in the same uniform as was the man, Henry Winchester, whom Nea had killed. These three people are exorcists.

Nea and Road rise and step out into the line of view of the small group as if it was what they were waiting for. Their appearance and the lack of reaction, such as attack, from the approaching Akuma startle all the exorcists but one. The one who didn't react to their presence at all was an exorcist with a head like flames, the crimson strands sticking up slightly but for the most part was smoothed down. Nea at once recognized the hair which had shone through the piercing darkness like a spotlight.

The man stepped forward almost as soon as he saw Nea and Road, while the others stood there in shock at the sight. When the man lifted his head on his face was a phantom of the opera mask covering the right side of his face. His bright red hair rested on the shoulders of his standard navy blue exorcist coat.

What he did next was a shock not only to the Noah but the other exorcists as well. After a few still moments the man rushed Nea, whom didn't even have time to react to the man's out of character actions.

The red-headed exorcist grabbed Nea by his coat and thrust him into a tree the moment he had gotten close enough. A muffled grunt released itself from Nea's chest as he slammed into the tough bark. Road stood watching in a slight daze, seemly almost confused by what she saw.

"Nea!" screamed Lero in surprise and worry.

"Nah don't worry I am okay. So then you have my attention, what is it that you want?" asked Nea coolly as though unfazed by what had just occurred. His odd composure seemed to slightly unnerve the exorcist, whom just pushed him up harder against the sturdy trunk.

Those two seemed to attract more than just the attention of the exorcists and Noah but also the Akuma, who became agitated in response to the odd excitement.

"I am Cross Marian. I know who you really are and have come in response to a favor asked of me by my friend. You know him very well Nea Walker. After all he is someone quite close to you and he has been wanting to see you. So I suggest you come quietly but if you resist then I will have no choice but to drag you there myself," spoke the red-headed exorcist whose name appeared to be Cross. His speech was slightly impaired by what appeared to be the result of a few too many drinks. This was deducible by the heavy scent of alcohol on his breath that seemed to waft into Nea's face. That and the heavy smell of stale smoke left Nea uncomfortable.

Even though what he asked may be harmless enough, Nea wasn't going without a fight. He held no wish to see those connected to his miserable past as a human. He had hated nearly every part of his early life except for a few slight exceptions. The thought of being reunited with someone from that hellish time left him with a sour taste in his mouth.

Nea at once began to move, kicking out his legs to try and hit Cross in the chest. Yet no matter how well developed his tactics were he couldn't managed to break free. Every movement resulted in the grip tightening around his collar and soon the hands found their way to his neck.

"Nea!" Road yelled as she broke through to reality, her daze completely gone. As she spoke she began to run towards to other two. Meanwhile the exorcists just stood there in what appeared both confusion and anticipation.

Just as Road neared them Cross pulled out a gun from its holster hooked to his waist. The gun was a shiny silver and had _Judgment_ inscribed in its side. The moment the gun was freed it found in its way to Nea's head, loaded and ready to be fired. A soft click told Nea that only one squeeze of fingers stood between sweet life and bitter pain.

"Come any closer and I'll shoot," said Cross in a low monotone voice.

Road froze at his threat, her expression one of pure horror and fear. All the Akuma turned at once freaked by the threat.

Turning his attention back to Nea, Cross mumble near inaudibly, "So have you changed your mind about coming quietly? If not I could always put a bullet in your head and see if that would help you decide. It may not be enough to kill you but I am sure it would hurt like hell."

Nea would rather have a bullet in his brain than confront his past and if it wasn't for Road's presence he would have gladly taken one. But with Road here he didn't want to take that kind of risk and have her see him get his brains blown out. She may not mind killing humans but if something were to happen to her "family" she would be horrified.

"Okay I surrender," Nea said glumly as he lifted his hands in the air in a surrender fashion. Nea allowed himself a look in Road direction and her expression held shock as well as unease. He knew that the moment he would get taken away Road would run to the Millenium Earl for help. What would happen after that was anybody's guess.

Cross released Nea and, still keeping his gun pointed to Nea's head, pushed him off towards an unknown destination.

After watching Nea get carted off by the odd man Road at once opened a portal for herself and went back to the ark. Now she stood in a large room a lot like those she makes with her "dreams". Sitting in a chair in the center of the room is the pudgy figure of the Millenium Earl. He looks up at Road's arrival with slight surprise.

"Are you done with your mission already? That was fast," mumbles the Earl in a distracted voice.

"I am not done…," Road grumbled just above a whisper, examining her shoes.

"So then why are you_"

"Nea has been kidnapped!" Road broke in impatiently. The moment the words flew out of her mouth she at once wished that by some miracle the Earl didn't hear her, but according to the expression on the Earl's face she knew he had heard her loud and clear.

"What happened?" There was obvious excitement and agitation in his voice as he spoke quickly as though every minute that passed by was another minute wasted.

"Well there was this odd exorcist whom approached us and rushed Nea. They exchanged a few words that I couldn't hear and Nea started to struggle. When the man's hands went around Nea's neck I lost it and came running. The moment I approached he aimed an innocence gun at Nea's head and threatened to shoot him. I knew it couldn't kill him yet I stopped 'cause I didn't want Nea to get shot. Nea surrender, for my sake I am sure, and the last I saw of Nea was him being push into the forest with the gun still pointed to his head. Oh it's all my fault! What are we going to do?"

"We are going to get him back."

Nea walked through the village with Cross at his back, pointing the gun through his coat at Nea's lower back. With this stance only a very perceptive person could tell something suspicious was going on. The village was quaint yet filled with the bustling activity of community members going about their day. Large brick buildings flanked the streets and shrouded the people below in shadows cast from the noon-day sun.

Nea and Cross stayed to the side of the street as carriages made their way. The heavy pounding of the hooves to the pavement and the gentle hum of chatter filled the streets with an odd sense of peace.

Oddly enough Nea blended in like everyone else, his appearance having changed before they came to town to match that of an ordinary human.

His hair still held the same dark brown color but his skin was now pale and white. His eyes no longer held their gold luster and in exchange took on a deep dark blue color. The stigmata was gone, giving way to smooth bare skin. His lips now held a pink color in comparison to the previous charcoal.

Nea now looked like any ordinary human. In a crowd he would blend in perfectly for in this form there was nothing to separate him from those around him, nothing to say that he is special.

As they rounded the bend Nea saw a place he had never wanted to see again.

In front of him sat a house made of dark brown bricks. The front door was a dark wood and the windows covered by thick black drapes. The walkway to it was a twisty dirt trail where the unkempt grass seemed to spill over into it. Weeds grew in large clusters clumped in different areas all over the yard. An ancient twisted oak stood stooped over the uneven roof whose black shingles were a sight for sore eyes.

Cross pushed Nea up to the rickety time worn steps, his back burning where the tip bore into it. To his disliking he took to the steps and came to a stop in front of the beaten up door. Cross shift so that he could stand in front of Nea yet still have his gun pressed to him. The door shook as Cross knocked, the knocks being so hard it appeared as though they would turn the old door to splinters.

"Hey open up! I brought him!" grunted Cross as he continued to bang on the door.

"Coming." A muffled voice sounded from the other side of the door, stopping Cross's knocks. The voice was then followed by the sound of a latch being slid ending with a loud resonating click.

The door swung open with an eerie creak, a face framed in long wavy dark hair thrust out through the opening.

"Brother!" said the man with a lopsided grin the moment he spotted Nea.

Nea leaned back the moment the beaming face appeared in the doorway. As he backed up he felt the cool metal push into his side. He didn't care. He'd rather get shot than face this man whom just stood there smiling. One would think Nea was staring at a monster the way his features twisted into something that resembled horror.

"What's wrong brother?" asked the man with a frown as he stared at Nea's startled expression. The man looked slightly similar to Nea in his human form. Dark waves of hair twisted and writhed down his back, secured from his face by a single blue ribbon. His eyes where a brown color compared to Nea's deep blue yet they held the same shape. He wore dark black pants and a simple white button up shirt which was purposefully left slightly unbuttoned near the top. His black loafers seemed to have been recently shined for they gleamed with an odd brilliance. As too did his smile.

Nea hated seeing the familiar face and the nostalgia that came with it. He hated anything that connected him with the cruel ignorant creatures that were the human race.

"Well here he is Mana just as you asked. A promise is a promise but I must warn you he may no longer be your brother. For that reason I must stay and supervise you two to make sure he doesn't do anything," mumbled Cross in that gruff way of speaking that he often used.

Mana's frown deepened, causing his brow to furrow. A skeptical look crossed his features but in the end he just nodded and motioned for them to come in.

Nea sighed as he was pushed inside the open door by Cross, the tip digging into his kidney.

Soon they were all sitting clustered in a group in the living room. A fire raged in the fireplace as they sat by it in old threadbare chairs whose wood was lumpy and uncomfortable. Nea sat in the middle flanked by Cross, and his gun, and Mana.

"Oh Nea how have you been? I haven't seen you in forever! I miss you! Do you miss me? We haven't been together like this since we were children! Isn't this fun?"

Mana's constant chatter filled the room despite Nea's silence. The chatter soon turned to rambling and Nea started to get annoyed. He shifted impatiently in his seat as Mana told him what his life has been like. It was hard to believe this man was his_ older_ brother.

"Hey and brother will you stay this time? I know I am the older brother but that doesn't mean I don't get lonely without you around."

Nea froze at those words as they reached his ears and registered in his mind. It was time he took his leave before things got any farther and maybe this time he might actually have to do what he refrained from doing before. His body was in motion before he had even decided to move, his legs bringing him to a standing position.

Bang. The sound reached Nea's ears the moment he stood follow by a piercing pain in his thigh. He had been shot!

The innocence bullet resonated inside the wound, making the pain worse than the pain cause by a regular bullet. Blood poured through the torn skin as he swayed, shifting his weight onto his uninjured side. The sound of Mana gasping reached his ears as he squeezed the wound, pushing the bullet to the surface. At close range and in his human form even the simplest attack with innocence could pierce his skin.

A clank sounded as the bullet bounced off the hard wood floor, accompanied by the sound like that of someone pouring water. Nea collapsed into the chair as blood oozed from the wound. His veins began to stick out from his skin as a reaction to the innocence, his skin turning gray starting at the wound. Soon Nea's appearance was once again that of a Noah.

A strangled gasp sounded from Mana who was now leaning as far away from Nea as he could, his expression one of horror.

"Well it seems you have broken our agreement. I said I wouldn't harm you as long as you remained in your human form. Now that you have resorted to your Noah's form in front of Mana my duty as an exorcist becomes priority. I am sorry Mana but now I must kill Nea," Cross lumbered out of his chair as he spoke these words, his gun locked and loaded as if he had been expecting this. As he finished he turned toward Nea and aimed the gun at Nea's chest.

Nea jumped about as best as he could, dodging the endless bullets that rained down around him. All the while Mana just sat in the corner, watching in a dazed state.

Every move Nea made resulted in intense pain that bloomed from his leg and more blood spilling from the wound. The longer it went on the harder it became for him to dodge. Sadly enough Nea was stuck on the defensive in this fight, for he hadn't the time to do what was needed to fight back.

Another wave of pain filled Nea's body, this time blossoming from his side as a round of bullets crashed into him. These bullets were a pain for they didn't stop until they hit their target. Soon Nea found himself coated in his own blood were the endless barrage of bullets did their damage.

Nea stood there panting as Cross momentarily ceased fire. Fire raced through his vein's as blood welled from within. In this weakened state it was impossible to fight back and kill Cross. It was as if Cross had planned this from the start and knew exactly where to hit him. Nea knew that sooner or later he would end up dead for it was just a matter of time.

"You ok? You look pale. Let me put you out of your misery." Cross spoke in a confident voice as he hefted his gun up in front of him. With a pull of the trigger, another bullet sailed toward Nea.

Nea leaned panting in pain against the wall as the bullet pierced his chest and was stopped by his ribs. The wall is red where his blood soaked body has left its mark. He feels so sleepy but he knows he must stay awake for if he falls asleep he will surely die. Nea blinks, trying to see through the haze of blood obscuring his vision. Despite his best efforts he can't help but hope that back up may arrive soon. But then knowing the Millenium Earl it may not show up at all.

Nea jumps as another round come at him and lands staggering. He holds onto the wall to try and keep himself up though he knows it is a useless act. His shirt hangs soiled and almost completely destroyed, revealing his well-toned chest which looks as though it has been painted with war paint the way the blood stains his skin.

Nea hears the crash as the round that hit the wall reverse directions. When these bullets hit he will be done for and that is for sure. He has already went way past his limit and he doesn't have it in him to try and dodge them again. Nea slid down the wall as his shaking legs cave in underneath him, his mind and heart resigned to his fate. He closes his eyes as he waits for the end.

Road and the Millenium Earl along with a mess of Akuma rush through the pathway of Road's portal. Her heart is in turmoil as she senses that Nea is in distress. The Earl appears to sense it too for he now appears to be in more of a hurry. After what seemed like forever Road spots the door in front of her. Her slight relief is quite noticeable by a soft sigh yet she knows it is not over yet. With a frantic look in her eyes she pushes through the door.

A small beat up house that has become a battle field is what her eyes first take in. There are many bullet holes in the walls and the floor appears to be covered in blood. It is only a few seconds later in which Road notices that this blood is Nea's whom she sees limply laying badly wounded against a wall where the same odd exorcist is pointing a gun at his unconscious form.

"Nea!" Road screams running fast towards him. The man turns the gun on her and fires but before the bullets can even reach her the Millenium Earl jumps in front of them, blocking them.

Their heads turn as they hear a crash in the wall and what appears to be an earlier round flies out and off towards Nea. Once again the Earl intercepts the bullets and the look on his face at seeing Nea broken and bleeding out is one of pure fury and hatred.

"Well it is time you face me! But I must warn you I am not such an angel as Nea, Cross," spoke the Earl whose voice held strength it had not possessed in the past. At once he took off towards Cross with a large blue and white broad sword formed from Lero.

"Nea! Nea! Nea!" Road continued to scream while making her way to Nea's slumped form.

She skittered to a stop in front of Nea's rugged body and fell to the ground in front of it. Road slid his body off the wall so that it laid out flat, his blood stained face cradled in her lap. She lifted her head over him and glared at Cross in a seemingly protective fashion.

The Earl slammed into Cross with such force it was a miracle he remained standing. Cross's gun was used to block and parry away the sword's strike. A creaking sound emanates mixed with the odd clinch of metal on metal. As the Earl bounces backwards, Cross stands their panting with a gash across his thigh.

The Earl comes at Cross once again and this time manages to knock him over. Just as the sword is about to come down Cross disappears!

Cross turned his head to see a woman in an exorcist uniform standing over him, her hands pressed to her face as she sings.

"Maria? What are you doing here? Don't you see this is dangerous?" Cross says with his voice slightly panicked. The woman, Maria, just stares at him with her deep dark eyes, her black hair falling perfectly down her back. Her voice was beautiful as she sang to activate her innocence. As long as she sang to the Earl and the other enemy they were invisible.

She faced him and began to creep out of the house all the while gesturing him to follow. Instead of arguing Cross just nodded and followed. Finally after what seemed like forever they were outside. Without Maria missing a beat her voice silenced and she disappeared into the night only saying, "Come."

The Millenium Earl skeptically scowled at the spot where Cross was laying after what seemed like only a second before. He knew something was up and it had to do with innocence, he just didn't know what.

The Earl turned and walked over to where Road sat with Nea cradled in her lap. His eyes were filled with worry as he reached down and scooped up Nea's lip figure.

"Is he gonna be alright?" Road asked timidly.

"He will be after we get him home,"

They both turned when they heard a startled gasp. Mana sat sitting wide-eyed in the corner. He gazed between the Nea, Road, the Earl, and where Cross had disappeared.

"Brother…" Mana whimpered.

"What should we do about him?" Road eyed Mana scrutinizing.

"We will worry about him later. First we must take care of Nea. He is priority,"

The Earl turned as a gate opened up and began to walk towards it. Just as he was about to enter a hand grabbed on to his coat.

"Hey? Where are you taking my brother?" Mana asked, his body shaking and he looked like a man about to fall to pieces.

"Brother? He is not your brother. Even if he may have once been your brother at one time, he is no longer yours. The brother you know died that day and he became the man he is today. Your selfishness just about cost your so-called brother his life. So if you still wish to call this man your brother then you will only be hurting yourself. I will let you live for now because I must worry about Nea, but if you cause him any more pain I will not hesitate to eliminate you. This is your only warning," The Earl said coldly, his eyes flashing.

Mana let go of the Earl's coat and shrunk away. Turning away the Earl disappeared with an unconscious Nea in his arms and Road by his side.

Road sat next to Nea's bed as he slept. His breath was jagged and his chest shakily rose and fell at a near constant pace. His wounds had been bound and now he was sleeping off his injuries. The Earl said he would be okay yet Road couldn't help but worry.

Road hated seeing Nea like this. They were lucky they got there in time. It was a very close call. The next time Road saw that man she would definitely kill him. This she promised herself. Now she sat watching over Nea while he slept, eagerly waiting for him to wake up.


End file.
